sweetkitty

Wow! The TP has some great reach... Mia (aka Firepole) was one of my favorite dogs at ARNO. We are so very grateful for the coverage the Times-Picayune gave little ARNO... it is our first big story in our local paper.
On Sunday during the day two couples stopped by the shelter to say they would like to start volunteering! It is a wonderful thing if more locals come to help...
ARNO is nothing without volunteers, we are volunteers and they are all ARNO... this is very, very exciting for us to have this wonderful story. I wish the beautiful photographs were also available online with the story...the video is great, too. Maria and her photographer did an unbelievable job!
Just thrilled for ARNO! (And Mia, too... she found her perfect home in Portland with a very nice friend to play with, too! Thank yous go to the Blankenships who opened their heart and home to a Katrina survivor who had no place to call home except ARNO.

From the full story I discern that it is not necessarily 'shelters' but state animal control agencies... why aren't we taxing those that make the shelters fill? If you have an unsterilized pet then you should pay a 'kennel' fee for your rabies tag, because in essence your pet is able to breed. It may not be the caretakers' intent to breed their pet, but what pet has not gotten out somehow of its secure yard or home at least once in their lifetime? All it takes is one. Or for the family that wants to let Blackie have one more litter so the kids can experience the birth of an animal. Well, let the kids experience working in an animal control shelter for the summer where Blackie's pups are euthanized because there just aren't enough people coming to adopt for the amount of pets.
Why tax food that we are all buying for our pets when we are not the ones contributing to the overpopulation problem streaming into our state kill shelters... Tax the ones that are contributing to the problem, including backyard breeders of which there are plenty in our state.

Connie, welcome to animal rescue! Everyone at ARNO is hoping you are a permanent convert! It is wonderful that in your first 'taste' you got to meet (or talk to) many of the people from Lafayette to NOLA who have been involved in independent rescue for years. We welcome newcomers by the drove! For those who have toiled tirelessly, both before and after Katrina, we know the burnout rate is high... many of these people have given up even more since Katrina... the need is great and all want to help as many as we can. Thanks, Connie, for getting Tux to ARNO and Penny to the northshore. You da bomb in our book!